Beautiful Tragedy
by gwarkenthien
Summary: Draco finds himself fighting over what he thinks verses what his dad tells him to think. Hermione struggles to find her place in Hogwarts as she aspires to learn as much as she can. When these two cross paths, it can only be described as a beautiful tragedy. This story follows closely to the books. There will be page numbers so you can read both the originals and my story together.
1. Chapter 1

**I want to keep this as close to the book as possible. My hope is to have references and page numbers so you can read the originals and my story side by side. If you want to read them at the same time you can read the original from the beginning up to page 91 (the part where Harry first meets the Weasleys). The characters and main plot where both created by the brilliant J.K. Rowling.**

Hermione Granger was never the most popular kid in her school. She was often teased for staying inside to read instead of playing at recess time. This is why, when she found a strange letter saying she was a witch and she would be attending Hogwarts, she threw it away thinking it was a joke. She went upstairs to her room and tried to read one of her favorite books, Romeo and Juliet. But something felt wrong. She couldn't quite figure out what it was. She decided she would go sit by the window and count the cars that drove by. Her mother had told her to do this whenever she was upset.

What she saw outside surprised her. A small, barn owl was perched on the ledge, trying to see in. When the owl saw Hermione, it fluttered its wins excitedly. Hermione saw it had an envelope with fancy lettering in its mouth, so she opened the window to let it in. The owl wiggled through and flew around the room. It dropped the letter on her bed before flying back out the window and down the street.

The bushy haired girl giggled and went to retrieve the letter. When she picked it up, she saw it was the same letter she had received earlier today. Now she was curious. Who would go through that much trouble just for a little laugh?

When her mother got home, Hermione told her all about the strange letters. Her mother didn't hesitate to congratulate her. She said her great-aunt was also a witch.

That weekend, her mother took her to a place in London called Diagon Alley. The letter she had received was attached to a list of books and other things she needed to attend Hogwarts. It also contained directions on how to get to Diagon Alley, the place where all upcoming Hogwarts students got their items.

She then went to King's Cross station. The ticket said she was to board the train at platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock. Hermione had never heard of this station. Maybe she never noticed it before. But sure enough, when Hermione arrived, she found no platform nine and three-quarters. She saw a tall boy with bleach blonde hair and tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, my name is Hermione Granger, I'm looking for platform nine and three-quarters, do you know where that is."

The boy froze in place. He had a confused, or maybe scared, look on his face and he did not answer her. She could see a pink tinge on his cheeks that wasn't there before. "Alright then I'll find someone else," but just as she started to walk away, he screamed "Wait! I know where it is."

Hermione turned back around and looked at him. "You see, you have to go right between platform nine and ten," he said. "Go fast or you won't make it through."

"You're mad. No one in their right mind would do that," was her reply. This kid was definitely trying to trick her. Just as she started to walk away again, she heard a small grunt. She turned around and saw what appeared to be the boy's father clutching his neck a little too tightly. "Come, Draco, we mustn't mingle with her kind."

Hermione didn't know what he meant by her kind, but the boy's face got hard and the blush went away when his father said those words. She watched as the blonde duo walked away. But when she blinked, they disappeared. In their place stood a boy with messy hair and round glasses. He was staring at the wall that the blonde boy told her to run through.

She was about to go ask him if he knew where platform nine and three-quarters was, but she was cut off by a group of people who all had red hair running past her. _(read pgs. 91- 93)_

Hermione watched as one by one, the red-heads disappeared through the wall, just as the blonde had told her to. When all of them were gone she decided to try it. She closed her eyes, took a deep breathe, and started running. Much to her surprise, she didn't run into the wall. She went right through it. Hermione saw the red-headed family and the messy haired boy board the train. She did the same.

She found an empty compartment and sat down. Hermione pulled out her new copy of Hogwarts: A History and began reading it for the second time. As she sat alone in her compartment, she wondered about the blonde boy. He had been telling her the truth. She wanted to apologize to him. Was he even on the train? He must be, if he knew all about how to board it. Maybe she would look for him.

She stood up and started to walk out the door when a young boy approached her.

"Um, hello, my name's Neville. Have you seen a toad anywhere. I seem to have lost it."

"Hermione Granger," she replied, "And no, I haven't seen anything".

Neville started to walk away when Hermione suddenly had an idea. "Wait, Neville, I'll help you look if you want."

"Gee, thanks Hermione."

Hermione smiled and started going from compartment to compartment asking about Neville's toad. She figured eventually she'd get to the blonde boy's compartment and be able to apologize for the way she acted. _(read pgs. 94-110)_

Those boys don't seem to know anything, she thought. I hope we're not in the same house.

Hermione continued asking about Neville's toad until she arrived at the blonde boy's compartment. There wasn't anybody with him and he appeared to be deep in thought. She slid the door open and he jumped. Immediately after seeing her his cheeked flushed. Hermione noticed he had the same confused expression he wore earlier that day.

"Excuse me, have you seen a toad anywhere, a boy named Neville's lost it".

"I, umm, no I haven't." he said. It was obvious he was nervous.

"Oh. Well, anyways, about earlier, at the station, I wanted to apologize. I thought you were trying to trick me into running into the wall. Sorry I freaked out on you."

"It's alright. Hey, did you want one of my chocolate frogs?" The boy reached in his pocket with more force then necessary and pulled out a small tin. Hermione took it and thanked him. "I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy".

"Do you mind if I sit." Hermione asked. Draco gestured to the spot across from him and she sat.

"Do you know what house you're going to be in?"

"Slytherin, I think. It's where all the best witches and wizards go, according to my father. How about you?"

"Gryffindor. It sounds like the best from what I've read." Hermione could see Draco slump a little in his seat. "But you know Slytherin does sound nice." she added. She didn't really want to be in Slytherin, but something about the boy made her think it wouldn't be that bad if they both ended up there. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

As the train slowed, Hermione went back to her original compartment to gather her things. Even as she stepped off the train and into the chaos of first-years her mind wandered to the blonde-haired boy sitting alone in that compartment. What had he been thinking about?


	2. Chapter 2

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," he had said. That Potter boy has a death wish, Draco thought. How could anybody turn down being my friend. _There must be something wrong with him. You-know-who must have ruined his brain when he gave him that scar._

"Or maybe," Draco muttered, "there is something wrong with me.

Just as he said it the girl from King's Cross opened his compartment door.

"Excuse me, have you seen a toad anywhere, a boy named Neville's lost it".

"I, umm, no I haven't." he said. Was he blushing? Could she tell?

"Oh. Well, anyways, about earlier, at the station, I wanted to apologize. I thought you were trying to trick me into running into the wall. Sorry I freaked out on you." She was so pretty. Maybe they would be in the same house.

"It's alright. Hey, did you want one of my chocolate frogs?" Draco fumbled in in pocket for one of his candies. Hermione took it and thanked him. "I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy".

"Do you mind if I sit." Hermione asked. Draco gestured to the spot across from him and she sat.

"Do you know what house you're going to be in?"

"Slytherin, I think. It's where all the best witches and wizards go, according to my father. How about you?" Please say Slytherin, please say Slytherin.

"Gryffindor. It sounds like the best from what I've read." Draco's heart sank. Gryffindor and Slytherin were rivals, everybody knew that. How could they ever be friends if she was in that house. "But you know Slytherin does sound nice." she added. Draco smiled at her.

Hermione stayed for a while and they talked. When the train rolled closer to Hogwarts, she left to get her things and change into her robes. Draco really liked talking to somebody other than Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco stepped off the Hogwarts train. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" he heard Hagrid cry. That old oaf. Draco followed the giant and hopped boat with Crabbe and Goyle. He spotted Hermione and waved at her. "What are you waving at?" Crabbe asked. "Oh, it's nothing. Shut your trap Crabbe." Luckily Hermione didn't seem to see him and got on a boat with Potter and Weasley._ Why would she want to ride with those nitwits?_ thought Draco. _(read pgs. 111-122)_

Draco practically strutted towards the Slytherin table. Everybody cheered and clapped for him. But as he sat down all he could think of was the pretty brown-haired girl who just got sorted into Gryffindor. She was sitting by Potter again.

"Are you staring at Granger?" Blaise asked. "I heard both her parents are muggles. It must suck not knowing anything about the wizarding world. Looks like she made friends with that nasty Weasley". Draco blushed a little, but it quickly faded. How could he not have known. How could he have spent the train to Hogwarts talking with a mudblood. _(read pgs. 123-142)_

After class Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle took a walk on the school grounds.

"Did you see Potter's face?" Draco laughed. "No Snape, don't call on me, I don't have a brain in my head how do you expect me to answer these questions?" Crabbe and Goyle laughed. "Oh look, here comes Potty now" Draco pointed as Harry and Ron walked up the hill from Hagrid's hut.

"Oi, Potter! Where would you look if I told you to find me a Mountain Troll?" Draco yelled. Harry looked up and Ron's face turned bright red. "I'd try looking in a mirror!" Draco laughed.

"You shut your mouth!" Ron yelled, pulling out his wand. Immediately Draco pulled out his, too. He didn't really know any good hexes, but he felt like a threat when he was holding it. Luckily, before he could embarrass himself, their fight was interrupted.

"Put your wands down boys! I will not have you behaving like idiots in my school!" Draco whirled around and saw Professor McGonagall staring bullets at them. "Ten points from both of your houses. Now get to class!

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle scurried away. When they stumbled into the Slytherin common room, they noticed a note pinned up on the wall. Flying lessons would be taking place on Thursday. All the houses would be there. Draco groaned.

"Great," he said, "Now I have to be with Potter and Weasley."

_But I also get to be with Hermione_, Draco thought. No, that wasn't good either. He couldn't spend too much time around her or he might catch her disease. _(read pgs. 143-180)_

When Professor Quirrell fainted, Draco followed the Slytherin prefect back to their dormitories. But halfway there he had a thought. Hermione had been in the bathroom all day crying. He'd heard it from Pansy. She probably didn't know about the troll. Just then he heard a loud crash. Draco bolted to the girl's bathroom. As he got closer, the crashes and bangs got louder. As he started to enter, he heard footsteps coming down the hall. He backed away and ran into the closest room he could find.

He heard McGonagall's voice first. "What on earth were you thinking of?" she said.

"Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me." came a faint voice. It was Hermione. Thank God she was ok. Not that I would care if she died, Draco thought.

"Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own- you know, because I've read all about them. If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now." They? Who had gone and looked for her?

"Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived." Of course it was them. They were always around each other. The mudblood deserved nothing more than those bastards.

Draco didn't stay to hear the rest of the conversation. He was too angry at Potter for taking his chance to kill the troll and become the brave Slytherin he was always meant to be. He was also too angry at himself for even thinking about trying to save Granger. That foul no-good Gryffindor. What kind of first year would try to take on a troll? Didn't she have half a brain?

What did he care? This school would be better off without that filthy excuse of a wizard roaming the halls. _(read pgs. 180-235)_

Draco was in the library, deep in all the extra homework the teachers had assigned. Exams were coming up, so he was trying to study. If he got anything less than a perfect grade his father probably wouldn't let him go back home. But he couldn't quite focus.

Across the room a beautiful Gryffindor girl sat, deep in a book. The two dweebs she calls friends were there, too, but Draco didn't notice. His focus was on Hermione. He watched as she tucked her untamable hair behind her ear, just for it to fall back into her face. He wondered what it would've been like if she was sorted into Slytherin. Or if she was friends with him not Potter and Weasley.

"Hagrid!" he heard Ron say. Draco snapped out of his daze. Sure enough, Hagrid was standing awkwardly in front of the three. He looked like he was holding something behind his back, but Draco couldn't see what. A few minutes later, he saw Hagrid leave, followed shortly after by the three baboons. Malfoy quickly put his books away and scurried after them. He followed them down to Hagrid's hut and hid behind an oversized pumpkin right outside the window.

"Where did you get it Hagrid?" Draco heard Ron ask.

"Won it. Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

Draco heard some muffled noises, but he couldn't make out words. What was Hagrid hiding? Draco heard the door open and crouched further behind the pumpkin. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked out and left for the castle. After he was sure the coast was clear, he ran back to the Slytherin common room. He would find out just what Potter and his friends were hiding. That would get him into trouble for sure. He would finally get what's coming to him.

The next day, at breakfast, Draco saw Harry get a note. He was determined to figure out what it had said. "Crabbe, Goyle, I forgot something back at my dormitory, I'll see you at class." Draco stood up and followed Potter out into the corridor.

"Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" Ron said.

"We've got lessons we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing-"

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Draco stared at them with wide eyes. Hagrid had a dragon! It's illegal to raise dragons. "Wait 'till my father hears about this." Draco muttered quietly.

Draco kept a close eye on them all day. After Herbology, he saw them head for Hagrid's hut. Quietly, he trailed behind them. He hid in the same spot as the night before and listened closely. All he could hear was mutters. Draco climbed on a pumpkin to see inside the window. Just as the dragon came in view, sparks flew out of its nostrils. Ron's jaw dropped as he watched the dragon trying to bite Hagrid's finger.

Just then, Hagrid looked up. Draco ducked, but it was too late. He ran as fast as he could back to the common room, but he knew he'd been seen. _(read pgs. 235-309)_

**I get that this story is kinda difficult to understand unless you read the books with it. I also get that dramione is slowly building but i wanted it to be a slow build. Draco is still fighting between what he wants and what his dad wants. I think in the third year he will start to tell Hermione how he feels.**


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